Feeding mechanism for printing-presses.



S. PRESCOTT.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, 1913.

1,098,589. Patented June 2, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wwnmo; J a 64. ,Siiwell PIESG wwwa S. PRESCOTT.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSBS.

APPLICATION FILED A123. 7, 1913.

1,098,589. Patented June 2,1914.

2 SHBBTS-SHEBT 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SITWELL PRESCOTT, 015 FORT \UORTZ-I, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF FIFTY-ONE ONE- HUNDR-EIDTHS T JAMES D. OSBOR-N, 0F GLEBUR-NE, TEXAS.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

Application filed April 7, 1913.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1914. Serial No. 759,439

To all Iii/NIH). it may cow/ m Be it known that I, E-lrrwnL-L Pnnsco'r'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at 1100 Fairino'unt avenue, city of Fort Worth, in the county of i arrant, State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful lmnrovements in Feeding Mechanism for Printing-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an eiiicient mechanism for automatically feeding the paper or other impression receiving material to printing presses, and to provide a mechanism which may be readily attached to existing job presses of the Gordon or similar type whereby these presses may be made autoimi-tically feeding. It should be understood, however, that I do not limit the application of my invention to any particular type of press, or necessarily to presses now existing.

In the form herein shown my said invention comprises an improved mechanism whereby the paper or other material is an tomatically fed to the press in web or con tinuous form and automatically cut off in the desired lengths as it passes from the feeding mechanism proper, and in order to more fully describe my said invention, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l, is a side elevation of one specific form of my improved mechanism, showing the same in connection with parts of. a printing press; F 2, a top plan view of said mechanism detached from the press, and

-' with the paper feeding carriage and other parts removed; Fig. 3, an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation on line ti Fig. 2; Fig. 4-, a fragincutary detail section of the paper feeding carriage and connected parts; F a front elevation of the forward paper clamp and, knife blade, and Fig. (3, a detail perspective view showing the arrangement and operation of the roller tapes with respect to the paper feeding carriage.

My improved mechanism comprises, in the case shown, among other parts, a main frame consisting of two side members 1, braced. as at 2 and 3, and secured to the top receiving board 4t of the press. Mounted to travel on the upper edges of frame members 1, longitudinally thereof, is a paper feed carriage comprising a cross bar 5 fast at opposite ends to two uprlght members (3 and 7, in which latter is ournaled an emery cloth covered roller 8, beneath which passes the web of paper to be fed from a roll 10, the latter resting on a suitable stand or support 11. and retarded in its rotation by a rubber friction surface at 12. This web passes from the roll under the weight of a pivoted arm 13 and roller 14-, thence under a roller 15 attached to the frame 16 of the press proper, upward between the type form 17 and the moving platen 18 of the press, to a roller It!) on an adjustable arm 20, and from this roller to and under roller 8. From roller 8 the web passes beneath an inclined plate 21 pivoted as at 22 between end menibQl'S (.3 and 7 of the carriage, the lower edge of said plate being covered with friction material. such, for example, as emery cloth and restingunder thenatural weight of said plate upon the upper surface of the paper 9, the paper at and adjacent this point pass ing over cross member of the carriage see Fig. at). From the carriage, the paper passe forward between two roller tapes 22-3 and 2a to a paper clamp comprising a fixed member over which the paper passes, and a member 26 yieldable in a vertical plane upward against the comp]; -ssi0n of springs 27 and 28 (see Fig. and having an emery cloth covered bottom surface adapted to come down on and clamp the paper against member 25. From this point the paper passes beneath a knife blade 29, by which it is cut into desired lengths as hereinafter described, after which it drops on the receiving? board 30. A

Reciprocating travel is imparted to the paper carriage from a moving part of the press through. the following mechanism: Secured to the crossanember 5 of said carriage is a ennui-acting rod. or bar 31 (F 2 and 11), and this rod is pivotally attached. to a lever 32 fulcrumed as at 33 to one side of the frame. This lever is in turn connected by bar 53 i and two suitable clamps 35 and 36, to a lever 37 fulcrlnned at 2-38 on a bracket 33$) secured to one side of the frame. This lever 37 extends entirely across said. frame when it is attached by means of an adjustable clamp 40, to a connecting rod :41, which in turn is pivot-ally connected at 42 (Fig. 1) to a reciprocating arm 43. This arm 13 is pivotally connected at (H to a lever 45 fulcrumed at 46 on the moving elemel'lt 17 of the press, to which a rocking motion is imparted through connecting rod 47 from I crank disk 48. Secured rigidly to arm 43 is a downwardly extending arm 49, the lower end of which is connected with a downward extension of lever 45, through a bolt 50, which limits the movement of the lever 45 and arm 49, at that point away from each other, but which permits their movement toward each other against the compression of a spring 51 on said bolt. To the forward end of arm is secured a rod 52 which travels in a bracket 53 fast on one side of the machine frame. This bracket carries a stop screw 54 which co-acts with a stop 55 on arm 43 in a manner hereinafter described.

Returning now to the paper clamp 25-26, this is operated by the following mechanism: The vertically movable member 26 of this clamp is operated directly by a vertically movable push rod 56 having an offset 57 which engages with a. plate 58 on an arm 59 pivoted at one end upon a supporting bracket 60, adjustably secured by bolts 61 to one side of the .main frame. The other end of this arm 59 carries a pin 62 extending at right angles therefrom, and normally this pin rests upon a plate 63 fast to a supporting member 64 mounted for reciprocatingmotion in guides 65 and 66 on one of the sides of the main frame. See Figs. 2 and 3.) Pivoted to supporting member 64 above plate 63 is a pawl 67 so located relative to pin 62 as to pass under and trip the latter when the member 64 is moved as hereinafter described. The supporting member 64 is connected through arm 68 and adjustable clamp 69 to lever 37, and from this lever receives its reciprocating motion. The arrangement of the tapes 23 and 24 is shown most clearly in Fig. 6 from which it will be seen that the tapes 23 are fast at one end to a cross bar 70 on the front of the carriage and above the path of the paper, while the tapes 24 are fast to cross-member 5 of the carriage, below the paper. The other ends of these tapes pass around and are fast totwo rollers 71 and 72, respectively, and these rollers are rotated so as to Wind up these tapes as the carriage travels toward said rollers, by chains 73 and 74 secured at one end through springs 75 and 7 6 to the back of the carriage, passing thereto over rollers 77 and 7 8, the other ends of these chains connecting through tapes 79 and 80 to rollers 72 and 71, respectively. the tape 80 passing over a roller 81. It will be seen that when the carriage travels from right to left Fig. 6, tapes 23 and 24 unwind from rollers 71 and 72, but tapes 7 9 and 80 passing around said rollers in an opposite direction wind up thereon, thus taking up the slack in chains 73 and 74. On the other hand, when the carriage travels fro-1n left to right (Fig. 6) the chains and tapes 73, 74

and 79, 8O actuate the rollers 71 and 72 and these in turn take up the slack in the tapes 23 and 24.

The operation is briefly as follows: \Vith the movement of the rocking member of the press in the direction of the arrow Fig. 1, arm 43 acting through connecting rod 41, lever 37, connecting rod 34, lever 32 and bar 31, sends the paper feed carriage forward, and immediately that it starts in this direction, the friction edge of pivoted plate 21 tightens on the paper and carries it forward with the carriage. Just after the carriage has thus commenced to travel forward, the inclined end of pawl 67 engages pin 62, said pawl being sent forward by the forward movement of supporting member 64, through lever 37. On the continued movement of said pawl in the direction stated, pin 62 rides up on pawl 67, thus lifting arm 39 and therethrough lifting the rod 56 which in turn lifts the vertically movable member 26 of the forward paper clamp, thus permitting the paper to be fed forward by the carriage. When the paper has been thus fed forward the proper amount, pin 62 drops from the rear end of pawl 67, thus permitting the arm 59 to descend, and with it the clamping member 26, the latter un der the action of springs 27 and 28, which clamping member will grip andhold the paper. At this time a cam lug 82 on disk 48 acting through a spring pressed arm 83, bell crank lever 84, and a connecting rod 85 causes knife blade 29 to descend and sever the paper adjacent the forward paper clamp, the severed portion of the paper falling upon receiving board 30. When arm 43 has traveled to within a half inch of the end of its movement to the right, Fig. 1, projection 55 thereon engages stop screw 54, causing the entire feeding mechanism, including roll 10, to remain stationary. The operation of the press proper, however, continues, that is, the member 17 continues its movement in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1) until the type meet the paper on platen 18, since the lever 45 is pivotally connected at 44, which allows its fulcrum 46 to move with member 17 against spring 51. notwithstanding arm 43 has come to a stop. The carriage having reached the end of its forward travel and the clamp 26 having descended on the paper, said carriage now returns to the commencement of its travel, the friction plate during this time simply passes over the paper without gripping it. The web supporting roller 19 is adjustable vertically by clamping nuts 82 on arm 20, operating in conjunction with slotted supporting guides 83, one of said guides being mounted on each side frame member 1. The proper relation between the times of action of the carriage travel and the forward paper chains may be accurately adjusted by adjusting arms 34 and 68 with relation to their levers. it is of the utmost importance in this class of mechanisms that the paper does not slip, and this is adequately provided for in the present mechanism, first by the inclined blade 21 which always rests under its natural weight upon the web; second by the arrangement whereby the for ward clamp 26 does not release the paper until just after the carriage with the web starts forward and, third, by the arrange ment whereby said clamp tightens on the paper just before the carriage pulling web reaches the end of its travel, said clamp remaining tight on the paper until. after the carriage stops, returns for and starts with another pull. Moreover, the direct connection of the web feeding mechanism with the moving parts of the press proper, through side arm 43 and stop spring 51 gives an absolutely true operation of the paper feed.

in addition to the above stated advanrages, my improved mechanism is capable of accurate adjustment, and when so adjusted is not likely to get out of adjustment.

While I have herein. shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention, it should be understood that various modifications thereof may be made without departing from the true spirit of the invention.

W'hat I claim is:

1. Paper feeding mechanism for printing presses, comprising a reeiprocatory carriage having a cross-member movable therewith and occupying a position below the paper, and carrying an inclined pivoted blade the lower free edge of which rests on the paper by the weight of the blade, said blade operating to grip the paper automatically between it and said cross-member to advance the paper when the carriage moves in one direction and passing freely over the paper during the return movement of the carriage, a guide roller mounted 011 the carriage behind said blade, and a relatively staiionary guide for directing the paper to the guide roller in a direction transversely of the plane of movement of the carriage.

Paper feeding mechanism for printing presses. comprising a reciprocalory carriage having means operative to advance the paper when moved in one direction, a relativoly stationary clamp having means acting to cause the clamps to grip and hold the paper before said carriage completes its advancing movement, and means reciprorable in unison with the carriage and operative to disengage the clamp from the web.

3. Paper feeding mechanism for printing presses, comprising a reciprocatory carriage operative to advance a web of paper during its movement in one direction, a clamp through which the web is adapted to pass and having means acting to engage it with the web, and means reciprocable in unison with the carriage to permit engagement of the clamp with the web before said mn'riago conniileics ils advancing movei'nent and to disengage the clamp after the carriage comn'iences its next advancing movement.

at. Paper feeding mechanism for printing presses, comprising means for advancing a web of paper by successive steps, a clamp. a pawl reciprocable in unison with the web feeding means. means controlled by said pawl for causing the clamp to grip and hold the web. and a knife operative to sever the web while the lath-nis held by said clamp.

3. Paper feeding mechanism for printing presses, comprising means operative by a moving i'iart of the press for advancing a web of paper nitcrmittentl v, a clamp controlled. by means recipii'ocable in unison with said carriage for gripping and holding the web intermittently, and a knife operative by a moving part of the press to sever the web into sheets.

6. Paper feeding mechanism for printing presses, comprising a reciprocatory carriage carrying means operative to advance a web of paper during movement of the carriage in one direction. and means for guiding the web embodying sets oi. tapes arranged on opposite sides of the web, the forward ends of the tapes being connected. to the carriage, and means for maintaining the tapes under tension.

7. Paper feeding mechanism for printing presses, comprising a reciprocating member for advancing a web of paper, sets of tapes attached at one end to said member and arranged at opposite sides of the web, and roll.- ers operative to wind the opposite ends of the tapes thereon during the web advancing movement of said member.

8. Paper feeding mechanism for printing presses, comprising a reciprocatory carriage operative to advance a web of paper, sets of tapes arranged in planes at opposite sides of the web and to receive the latter between them, said tapes being attached at one end to the carriage, a pair of rollers for winding the opposite ends of the tapes, and means operative by the advancing movement of the carriage for operating the rollers to wind the tapes.

9. The combination with a prii'iting press, of a web feeding mechanism therefor comprising, a reciprocating carriage having means to grip the web to advance the same, a web-holding clamp to grip and hold the web against movement, mechanism to con trol said web-holding clamp, a lever to re ciprocate the carriage, an actuating lever common to both the said clamp operating means and said carriage, a bar forming av pivotal. connection. between said actuatii'ig lever and said clamp operating means, and adjustable longitudinally on said actuating lever, and a bar between said actuating lever and said carriage and adjustable longitudinally on said actuating lever to vary the operation of said clamp and said carriage, and means forming an operative connection between said actuating member and a moving part of the press.

10. The combination with a printing press, of a web feeding mechanism therefor comprising, a clamp to hold the web against longitudinal movement, and having a clamping member movable transversely of the plane of the web, a lever, means to impart movement from said lever to said clamping member to raise and permit lowering of the same, a pawl mounted for reciprocating movement to operate said lever, and adjustable means connected to said pawl and to a moving part of the press to drive said pawl.

11. The combination with a printing press, comprising a clamp to hold the web against movement, and having a movable jaw, a lever, means to impart motion from said lever to said j aw, a pin extending from one side of said lever, a pawl having a cam face and mounted for reciprocating motion to one side of said frame and extending transversely thereof, driving connection between said lever and said carriage, a lever pivotally secured to the other side of said frame, an adjustable link connection between said levers to vary the extent of the travel of said carriage, and operative connection between the second mentioned lever and said carriage.

SITW ELL PRESCOTT. W itnesses ERVIN PETTY HALL, Roar. GARVEY LITSEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

